Rail clamp and brace



oct.' 14. 1924.` 1,511,357`

W. M. RGGNS RAIL CLAMP AND BRACE Filed Feb. 14 1924 @www ' the 'accomapnying Patented ct. 14, '1924.

WILLIAM M. RIGGINS, ,0F AUSTINVILLE, VIRGINIA.

RAIL CLAMP AND BRACE.

Application filed February 14, 1924. Serial No. 692,831.

To all 'whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, VILLIAM M. HIGGINS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Austinville, in the county olf Vythc and State of Virginia, have invented new and useful Improvements in Rail Clamps and Braces, of which the following is a specification. v

The invention relates to a rail clamp and brace.

The `object of the present invention is to provide a simple practical and efficient rail clamping and supporting member designed to be fixed to a metallic cross tie and to it against the rail at ithe bottom flange, the web and the ball yor head for holding the same rmly upon the cross tie and for' also bracing the rail and preventing the same from rolling outwardly or spreading.

lA further object of 'the invention is to pro-vide a device of this character and a cooperating movable Iinner rail engaging member or clamp adapted to maintain the rail firmly in engagement with the Xed outer clamp and provided with means for engaging the rail at the ange and kweb and head or tball and to firmly brace the same. Another object of the invention is to provide an inner rail clamp adapted to be readily turned into and out of engagement with the rail tol enable thelatter to be easily and rapidly applied to and removed from a cross tie.

Another object of the invention is to provide a reinforcement ymember adapted to be arranged between the converging rails of a switch or frog and 'adapted to engage the bottom flange web and head or ball of the rail for iirmly bracing and supportincr the same.

ith these and other objects in view the invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in drawings and pointed out in the claims hereto appended, it being understood that various changes in the form, proportion and minor details of construction, within the scope of the claims, may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacricing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawings, in which like characters of reference designate corresponding parts in the several views:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a portion of a railroad track provided with rail clamps and reinforcement members constructed in accordance with this invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same.

Figures 8 and 1 are detailed perspective views of the inner and outer rail clamping members.

Figure 5 is a plan view of the reinforcement member.

Figure 6 is a reverse plan view of the same. v y

In the accompanying drawing in which is illustrated the preferred embodiment of the invention, 1 and 2 designate innerv and outer rail clamping members mounted upon a metallic rail tie 3 constructed of steel or other suitable material and preferably consisting =of a fiat horizontal body, but any other desired form may be used.

The outer rail clamping member which is constructed of suitable metal, comprises a lower base portion and upper and 'lower projecting arms 1 and 5 formed integral with the base portion which is rigidly secured to thev cross tie by rivets 6 or other suitable fastening devices.` The rail clamping member is provided at the lower face with a recess 7, formed by the lower face of the lower projecting arm 5 and located above the plane of the lower face of the base portion and conforming to the coniiguration of and `adapted to receive the bot-v tom iiange of a rail 9. The lowerl integral projecting arni 5 iits against the upper face of the bottom flange'and extends to the web 10 of the rail9 and it has an inclined upper face 1'1. The integral upper arm 4 is arranged at an inclination and it tits' against the underside of the head or ball of the rail in the angle formed by the same and the web 10. The inner and outer faces of the upper arm 4;' are inclined and the upper end is beveled at 12 to form a shoulder to fit against the underside of the head of the rail and it is also provided with an end face 13 which iits against the web of the rail contiguous to the head thereof. The outer clamping member firmly engages the ail and braces and supports the same and prevents the rail from rocking or rolling outwardly or otherwise spreading.

The inner clamping member 1 comprises a base portion and an arm 141- forming a lower recess 15 to receive the adjacent bot- 

